This application claims the priority of German application 197 20 587.9, filed in Germany on May 16, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a side impact protection device in the form of an inflatable gas bag for an occupant of a vehicle, with an installation module consisting of at least a housing, a gas generator, and a gas bag being mounted on an internal door panel of a side door and an outlet opening for the inflated gas bag being provided on an upright wall section of door trim located in front of it.
A known side impact protection device of the type generally described above is known from German patent document DE 195 11 511 A1, in which the bottom of the housing is placed on the side of the door interior panel facing the occupant and is fastened by external mounts on the door interior panel. The door interior panel is designed to be relatively flexible in the mounting area of the housing, so that it can bend easily when the gas cushion unfolds. To accommodate the installation module that consists of a housing, a gas generator, and a gas bag, a relatively large cavity must be left between the door interior panel and the inside door trim, thus limiting the free design of the door trim. There is also the danger that the gas bag will be damaged on the relatively sharp-edged borders of the housing as it inflates.
A goal of the invention is to improve a housing for a side impact protection device and the adjoining door interior panel such that the existing cavity in the door is better utilized and, when the housing is installed, a more rigid connection is provided between the housing and the interior door panel.
According to the invention this and other goals have been achieved by providing a housing, a gas generator, and an inflatable gas bag mounted on an interior door panel of a side door of the vehicle, an outlet opening for the inflatable gas bag being provided on an upright wall section of door trim, wherein said housing has a trough-shaped receiving section to mount the gas generator, an expulsion channel located in front for the gas bag, and a plate-shaped mounting section located therebetween and aligned approximately perpendicularly to the expulsion channel to secure the housing to the interior door panel, said receiving section being guided through a recess in the interior door panel and projecting into a door cavity located behind.
According to the invention this and other goals have been achieved by providing an arrangement for mounting a gas bag in a side door of a vehicle, comprising an interior door panel defining a recess; and a housing for receiving the gas bag, said housing including a flanged mounting section connected to said interior door panel proximate said recess, an expulsion channel extending from said mounting section toward a vehicle interior side, and a trough-shaped receiving section extending from said mounting section through said recess into a door cavity on a vehicle exterior side.
According to the invention this and other goals have been achieved by providing a method of mounting a gas bag in a side door of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: providing an interior door panel with a recess defined therein; providing a housing for receiving the gas bag, said housing including a flanged mounting section, an expulsion channel extending in a first direction from said mounting section, and a trough-shaped receiving section extending from said mounting section essentially opposite said first direction; and connecting said housing to said interior door panel proximate said recess via said flanged mounting section, such that said expulsion channel extends toward a vehicle interior side and said trough-shaped receiving section extends through said recess into a door cavity on a vehicle exterior side.
The primary advantages achieved by the invention consist in the fact that the housing that consists of a trough-shaped receiving section for the gas generator, an expulsion channel located in front of it for the gas bag, and a panel-shaped mounting section, has a relatively rigid structure, so that because the receiving section projects at least partially through a recess in the door interior panel into the door cavity located behind, the cavity in the body of the door that extends in the direction of the door window is also utilized to accommodate the installation module.
The door section formed by the recess is very rigid because of the edgewise offset of the interior panel of the door in conjunction with the window shaft reinforcement located above. The expulsion channel is made rigid by locally mounted beads and the surrounding bead. The beads also protect the gas bag against damage when it inflates. The door trim is not subjected to a load when the gas bag unfolds because the expulsion channel is rigid. In addition, the expulsion channel serves to guide the gas bag past the door trim. The housing is mounted on the door sealing film. When the gas bag is inflated, the interior panel of the door is not deformed. The replacement latch on the housing that is provided integrally with the module ensures that the installation module is correctly installed on the corresponding side door. A plug for the gas generator can also be mounted on the housing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.